Taking us on a sonic journey through time and space Public Service Broadcasting weave a spell of light and musical magic to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh Audience was buzzing before the band took to the stage having being excellently warmed up by peppy 3 piece Pale Blue Eyes.
Before the band appeared we had the scene set by their Mobile Phone Etiquette which was followed by Bowie’s Sound & Vision – a brave move just before you come on stage!
Given its only months since Bright Magic it would be fair to assume that the band would use this gig to showcase the album. But they actually shared tracks from across their 4 albums, Bright Magic, Every Valley, The Race for Space and Inform – Educate – Entertain.
The stage was dark when J. Willgoose Esq., Wrigglesworth, JF Abraham and Mr B. arrived accompanied by EERA (Norwegian artist Anna Lena Bruland). The visuals on the back wall play an integral part in the show but to see them clearly, the band remain in low light for most of the show.
The show kicked off with three tracks from Berlin inspired album Bright Magic, with The Visitor, Im Licht and Der Rhythmus Der Maschinen. Berlin and Synths obviously bring Kraftwerk to mind, and there is a flavour of the German synth pioneers but, of course, PSB have their own unique sound with voice clips, and analogue bass and guitars creating an ever-changing recipe mix of analogue and digital. But is the extraordinarily talented Wrigglesworth on drums who drives the band’s energy. EERA provides the vocals on all these songs and the orange lighting reflects the nostalgic futurism of 80s Berlin.
The next two tracks are announced with the band’s three horn players strutting on to the stage, looking pumped to be playing on The Pit and People Will Always Need Coal. The mining visuals are exceptional and surely chimed with the audience, sitting as they were, in the centre of what was home of mining. Mr B came out from behind the keys to film the rest of the band, the footage projected side by side with 60s mining images.
Sputnik was announced by the tick-tock beat of the syn drum, changing the pace from the last song’s full on Samba. The sputnik imagery and 50s public service voices working so well with the trance like tunes.
The Horns stride back on for Progress and J. Willgoose Esq and EERA provide the vocal. He tells the crowd that the band first performed Progress here at the Usher Hall and the power and focus of this song thrills the room again.
Gib Mir Das Licht sees the stage lights turn a Kurfürstenstraße red with a lilting, romantic sax solo floating over the rest of the band. EERA re-joins for Marlene Dietrich inspired Blue Heaven, backed by the band’s video featuring the vocal of Andreya Casablanca of Berlin band Gurr.
The lighting changes to black and white for both Lichtspiel II: Schwarz Weiss Grau and Lichtspiel III: Symphonie Diagonale.
The crowd only had to hear the first bar of ‘A song about a plane’ and they were cheering. Spitfire is a cracking song, a great mix of tunes, Duane Eddy guitar, aircrew recordings, Trevor Howard’s great voice and the stunning visuals. This was the rockiest song of the night and stepped up the energy.
All Out focuses on the miner’s strike of the 1980s but the words seem very relevant in 2022. We never went on strike because we wanted more wages/Better wages than a doctor have or a nurse/We went on strike for a job; the right to go out the house in the morning and go to work. It keeps up the energy as we’re on the final couple of songs.
The Other Side is built round the NASA soundtrack from the Apollo 8 mission and the tension felt when the craft went behind the moon and the music reflects the tension and relief.
Last up of the main set is the call and response of Go! With the crowd chanting along, it was a great way to finish the set.
The band obviously love performing and this is reflected in the style and energy they put into their performance.
Encore
The EERA and the horn guys are back for They Gave Me a Lamp who, with the multi-talented JF Abraham on Flugelhorn bring a pit band to life – a beautiful sound. The mood changes immediately with People, Let’s Dance the band’s latest single. Nile Roger’s guitar and A Donna Summersesque vocal this was a discotatstic success. The pixelated video was cracking and the two space suited spacemen were amazing.
Gagarin kept the mood going and final song Everest gave the crowd exactly what they wanted. Opened by a beautiful Flugelhorn solo then the strutting horns upping the volume and the stunning filming of the Everest climb left the crowd rattling the roof of the old building. Stunning!
As the show finished, the lights were up showing off the bands smart white groomsmen suits with their matching white footwear. Where do you even buy shiny white shoes like that? (asking for a friend!)
Words: Graeme White @head_in_the_bass_bin
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh @ayecandyphotography